LETTER: Illinois politicians keep seeking more taxes

It has been said that "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results." That's exactly what our Illinois politicians have done for the past 40 years and look what it has brought to the people of Illinois. Nothing but bondage: the enormous state debt, an underfunded state pension system, a poor credit rating (one step above junk bond status), annual state budget deficits, underfunding of essential state agencies and services, a crumbling state infrastructure, one of the highest states for real estate taxes, high sales taxes, the second highest outward migration of any state, and political corruption that is unrivaled by any great state in the U.S. The sky really is falling in Illinois! And what is our great state leader's solution to all these problems? More taxes!

Remember the solution in 2011 was to pass one of the largest income tax hikes in IL history that raised an additional 30 billion dollars. What did that accomplish? Our politicians just mismanaged the money and the state was worse off for it leaving the state with a higher amount of unpaid bills than before the tax increase. Forget that the good people of Illinois are already some of the most taxed in the country, our politicians will stop at nothing to take more and more. Enough! In the past, Illinois has never had a revenue problem: it has a corruption and spending problem. Here's the new proposed tax scheme Springfield wants to impose on Illinoisans over the next four years:

1. A progressive state income tax with increased tax rates on taxpayers earning over $17,300 per year. That is above the current 4.95 percent flat tax rate.

2. Increase in the gasoline tax. An increase of up to 85 cents per gallon is being discussed.

4. A state property tax on your home's assessed value. Estimates for home owners are an additional $1,948 per year added to your property tax bill.

5. An ammunition tax of a penny per round.

6. A mileage tax (it's anybody's guess how much)?

7. A property transfer tax (also known as an exit tax). Yes, you will pay a tax if you sell your home to leave Illinois. Chicago already has this tax in place of $5.25/$500 of property value when you sell.

Rest assured, the only thing that will result from this confiscatory tax scheme is more outward migration and a greater burden on Illinois residents who cannot afford to leave. The sky is falling, the sky is falling, and I'm not Chicken Little.

James Di Naso, Concerned Taxpayers of Coles County, Charleston

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(3) comments

Well presented James, but the facts haven’t mattered to the majority of the ILL state voters for multiple decades.

They didn’t matter way back during the reign of Charleston’s favorite son Jim Edgar when he ignored the hard facts presented by the pension fiduciaries of his joining with Madigan and kicking the can and not funding the pension systems…

… and they don’t matter now.

Here’s hoping those in charge of EIU are preparing for the next great crisis as the increased taxes due to an even more rapidly declining source of individuals and businesses fleeing this broken state, will result in less revenues for the grafters in gooberment to distribute

… not to mention the next great recession that will result from the federal dimmy-whacks next great tax grab and war on the producers, when they are fully back in power in the next cycle and the next stage in the fall of our country hits hard.

The voters continue to speak and frankly as long as they get theirs won’t listen or understand the logical results from those they elect actions, even while its slapping them upside their heads.

Makes it unlawful for any person to knowingly possess an assault weapon 300 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, except possession of weapons registered with the Department of State Police in the time provided.++++

Wow, the third gun control bill in just the first 2 weeks of this new state government

… amazing

Based upon the bill’s definition of “Assault weapon”

… would make almost every semi-automatic rifle illegal to own, unless you register it with the Gooberment

… would immediately turn peaceful, law abiding citizens into felons punishable by fines and incarceration

The left’s eventual confiscation of firearms seems to be literally priority 1 with the Chicago demon-crats

Nope, their first priority is disarming any political opponents

Sigh, hope you’re all ready for the 4 yrs of h*ll coming at us as they finish destroying what little that is left in this ILL state ….

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